Rue’s $1.69 Notebook That We Have Priced at $2,500 (WHAT!?)

We found this old notebook in a stack of Rue’s papers at the bottom of one of her file cabinets in the home office of her Manhattan apartment. The first thing we noticed is the coffee splatter marks on the cover and that let us know it was DEFINITELY Rue McClanahan’s! Before the old notebook hit the trashcan someone opened it up and just look at what was discovered – it is a treasure chest with over half a dozen of Rue’s “doodles” inside. If we had to assign levels to Rue’s “doodles” we’d have to say this notebook has a couple minor ones, a couple more that are pretty good examples of her work, and three that are unquestionably MAJOR! All the “doodles” are worthy of framing, even some of the little sketches in pencil, but that will be up to you. We were going to break the thing up and do the framing ourselves, but we decided to keep the piece intact, just as we found it. Rue’s “doodle” notebook comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from Estate of Rue.

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Rue loved to read and she owned a room full of books. Each of the books in this collection of 14 titles will have a printed bookplate on the inside indicating the following: “From the Private Library of Rue McClanahan.” Although “Miss Craig’s Face-Saving Exercises” from 1970 is almost too good to let go – someone really ought to frame the inside cover – we have decided that it is time to clear out Rue’s books. This stack consists of six hardcover and eight softcover titles, and it includes a wonderful coffee table book about theatre. Comes with one Certificate of Authenticity from Estate of Rue.

(We’ll pay shipping for US residents because we can use Media Mail, but out of Country must pay shipping – books are HEAVY! Email us at info@estateofrue.com and we’ll create a shipping button for you if you reside outside the United States.)

Rue kept this large marker wheel right next to her desk in the home office of her Manhattan apartment. She bought the set at an art store down the street from her apartment and used it from the early 2000s until the end of her life; all of the “doodles” she created during that period were done with this set. She had other markers, as you can see in the initial inventory shot of all of her markers taken on her kitchen counter, but this was the she she kept open next to her desk and used every day. There are supposed to be 100 markers but the set is missing 11 of them. We are certain they still exist – at least most of them; some could have fallen into her office trash can by accident – and we’ll send them your way as they turn up in other boxes or crates. Rue’s marker wheel that she used to create her “doodles” comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from Estate of Rue.

Remember when Rue and Betty played nuns on that hurricane episode of “The Golden Girls?” Well, turns out it was good practice for later years when Rue would play a nun in many “Nunsense” productions – and if you haven’t seen them they are hilarious. She loved working with the show’s creator, Danny Goggin, and was always willing to say ‘yes’ when he called for the next sequel. We found Rue’s “Nunsense 2″ coat in the hall closet of her Manhattan apartment and there was a terrible error on it. Monogramed on the front was “The Reu” instead of “The Rue!” I was so embarrassed for Mr. Goggin, I mean, he runs such a professional organization I couldn’t believe they would make such a silly mistake. I called him to ask what the heck had happened – he just returned from a production of “Nunsense” at the Muny in St. Louis for over 5,000 people, so I’m sure he really wanted to hear me calling to complain about monograming – and he said, “Um, it isn’t “The Reu” it is “The Rev,” with a v, because she played the Reverend Mother and everyone called her “The Rev.” Why isn’t there a reverse button in real life? So, here is Rue’s coat and I am still a dork! Comes with prints of the photos shown, one of Rue’s copies of the DVD, and a Certificate of Authenticity.

This is another piece from that archeologist/jewelry designer that Rue loved to collect. Do you see those double strands of black beads? Well, a few of them have become single stands along the top of the necklace. We found 6 of the beads, which we will include, but the necklace doesn’t seem to be falling apart or need to be restrung. Perhaps it was just shut in the lid of Rue’s jewelry case or something like that. Anyway, this necklace is 24″ long and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from Estate of Rue.

This glass clock was made by the “Nautica” company and so we think it is supposed to resemble a sail, and it does. Rue’s glass clock needs a new battery. It measures 5.75″ high, 3.75″ wide, and 1.75″ deep. Rue’s glass clock comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from Estate of Rue.

This is one of Rue’s earliest framed “doodles.” She created the piece in California over 30-years ago. It hung on the walls in her various California homes and so it is sun faded, but the design is still clear. The frame measures 22″ x 18″ and the “doodle” is 16″ x 12″. Rue’s early framed “doodle” comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from Estate of Rue.